Joyce Richman: Changing careers? Find someone who you can trust
Joyce Richman: Changing careers? Find someone who you can trust
Thank you for your recent questions. Here are a few answers:
Q: I want to change careers but need help figuring it out. Who can I go to?
A: Your go-to people can be anyone from licensed career counselors and coaches to friends, family or associates. What’s important is that they understand today’s workplace, ask you good questions and listen as you describe your circumstances. They should get to know your strengths, hopes and expectations, and feel comfortable hearing about your challenges and fears. Go to someone who helps you identify a direction that works for you based upon who you are as a person. Someone who is objective and doesn’t have skin in the game.
Q: If you find a job you’d like to have, but you don’t meet all the requirements — like you’re missing one key factor — is it worth applying?
A: It’s worth applying if you have most of the experience required. However, if what you are missing is a key requirement, it’s doubtful that you’ll be a serious contender. One of the best ways to find out is to network your way to someone involved in the search who will be aware of how key that factor really is.
Q: How do you get past the gatekeeper at a large company and get to someone who might actually understand what you do and how you might benefit the company?
A: Network by putting the word out through your personal contacts, professional leads and association memberships that you’d like to talk to the person who heads up Department X in Company Y. You’ll be surprised how quickly you find the contact information you’re looking for.
Q: Should I bother with the Internet? I’ve heard that only 1 percent of those looking get jobs that way.
A: Yes, bother with the Internet, and here’s why: More and more companies are relying on the Internet to find candidates through job postings and online networking. Networking continues to be the best way to connect with opportunities and it has expanded well beyond traditional meetings, lunches and drinks after work. Thanks to the Internet you can meet up regardless of time zones or national boundaries. If you don’t know what to do because you’re out of touch with technology, ask your children or the kids next door to bootstrap your efforts. And offer to pay them for their effort so everyone earns a little something on the deal.
Q: What is that software that scans your résumé?
A: Think of it as an automated system that can define criteria and then scan, slice, dice, sort, filter and reduce a mountain of résumés to a mighty molehill of survivors deemed worthy of pursuit.
Given the software’s ability to sideline your résumé, do what savvy searchers do to stay in the game: Rework before you respond. Review the company’s Web site to learn about its vision, mission and values. Incorporate its thinking and wording in your résumé. Catalog your skills and describe your strengths the same way they’re outlined in the position’s job description.
Joyce Richman is a career coach and author of “Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job” and “Roads, Routes & Ruts: A Guidebook for Career Success.” Read her blog at www.richmanresources.com and watch her latest career advice Wednesdays at 6:35 a.m. on WFMY News 2. Contact Richman at 288-1799 or JERichman@aol.com.
